


on a post-it note.

by bittertofu



Series: thirty-five ways he said 'i love you.' [30]
Category: Persona 5
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-13
Updated: 2017-06-13
Packaged: 2018-11-13 15:15:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,468
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11187792
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bittertofu/pseuds/bittertofu
Summary: Softly, softly, into the morning.





	on a post-it note.

Akechi stretched, relishing the feel of the warmth from his blanket intermingled with that of the body beside him. He smiled, a soft shadow of a thing, and turned on his side to study Akira Kurusu's sleeping face. They were both naked beneath the covers, but even still, the heat between them bred a cocoon of comfort.

He laughed lightly to see how innocent Akira looked while asleep, no trace of his usual smugness marring the lines of his quiet face. Yet, that innocence clutched at his heart, too. Protectiveness stirred within him, and he reached out to brush back the bangs falling over Akira's forehead. Slowly, he traced his finger over Akira's brows, his eyes, his nose, his cheeks, his lips. Memorized every part of his face, to take with him wherever he went. If he couldn't have Akira for the rest of his life, he'd at least have the memory of him.

Akira stirred, taking in a deep breath as his eyes fluttered open. He smiled at Akechi, and Akechi smiled back.

“Good morning,” Akechi said. “I'm sorry the futon is so small. Did you sleep well?”

In answer, Akira snaked his arms around Akechi's waist and pulled him close. Buried his face in the crook of Akechi's neck. The skin-on-skin contact made Akechi even warmer, but it didn't quite bother him all that much. He wrapped arms around Akira and hid his face in Akira's soft curls, taking in the scent of faint vanilla and the rain that drenched them the day before.

It was exactly how Akira ended up staying over at Akechi's home. Akira decided that day to walk Akechi home from Leblanc, and on their way, the sky decided to let loose a downpour. They didn't make it to Akechi's apartment in time to avoid the worst of it, but still they laughed as they stumbled inside, arm-in-arm, tripping over each other in their rush. The rain was bitterly cold, sticking their clothing slick to their skin, and so they peeled out of their garments and, well, they couldn't exactly keep off of each other after that. So Akira stayed the night.

Something about having Akira in Akechi's space, sharing with him the place he spent so much time in alone, made him just the slightest bit anxious. It felt like he was letting Akira in on something important, something far too close for comfort. It felt wrong, having Akira share in his solitude, like it would taint him, somehow.

Akechi's grip on Akira tightened. Akira nuzzled into the side of his neck.

“Warm,” Akira muttered, and Akechi couldn't keep himself from chuckling.

He kissed the top of Akira's head and felt Akira grin against him. Akira lifted his head and took Akechi's chin into his hand, catching his lips in a tender kiss. Slow, soft, everything that made Akechi's heart stutter. Remember this, he told himself, taking Akira's face into his hands. Remember exactly this. Keep this moment forever.

He locked it away in his heart, to save for a later date.

“I think it's about time to get up,” Akechi pointed out. “Classes start soon.”

Akira made a dissatisfied noise at the back of his throat, and Akechi raised an eyebrow.

“You have to try to live normally until Ms. Niijima calls us in for questioning.”

“Don't wanna.”

“Don't be lazy.”

“I'd rather stay with you.”

Akechi sighed. He disentangled himself from Akira and the covers and sat up, stretching a second time. His back hurt a little from the night before, but not too much to bother him particularly. If anything, it was a sweet ache. A reminder of the night they shared. It was slower, softer than anything they'd done before, and Akechi's face warmed just to think of it.

“Blushing,” Akira said, and Akechi slammed the pillow over Akira's face.

“Get up,” Akechi demanded. “Shower, at least.”

Muffled from beneath the pillow, Akira said, “Shower with me.”

“You're absurd.”

Akira put the pillow to one side and sat up, too, smirking at Akechi, his head tilted to one side.

“It's not like I haven't already seen you naked,” he teased.

The way his eyes roamed over Akechi's body made him feel too raw, too exposed. He pulled the blanket up over his chest and frowned very pointedly at Akira.

“Showering together is different. It's too...it's...”

“It's too...?”

“Close,” Akechi finished, not knowing how else to put it.

Akira looked and sounded crestfallen as he replied with a simple, “Ah.”

Akechi mentally kicked himself. How could he say something like that after all Akira had done for him, after all the affection he'd shown him, after all they'd been through? They were already close. They were beyond close. But somehow, Akechi couldn't bear the thought of being even closer. He didn't feel prepared to let someone in that deeply.

“Okay,” he whispered, turning his heated face away.

“Okay?”

“Okay, I'll shower with you.”

Akira's silence disturbed him. A moment passed, and then two, and Akechi couldn't bring himself to look in Akira's direction. Had he changed his mind? Was he even being serious in the first place? Akechi didn't want to know. He felt humiliated.

“Look,” said Akechi, finally turning his head to look at Akira, “forget what I—”

His eyes widened. Akira had a hand over his mouth, and his face was bright red.

“A-Akira?”

“Ah, no, I—” Akira put a hand up to pause as he turned away, a shy smile bubbling at his lips. “I'm happy.”

Akechi stammered. Looked anywhere but at Akira. Put his hands to his face and peeked out from between his fingers. Akira laughed, lightly, and pulled Akechi's hands down. Leaned forward and kissed him again, a shy, innocent gesture. Akechi felt his heart would burst. It was too much for him to handle.

Together, they made their way to the shower, where the hot water soothed the cold from the air around their bodies. Akira insisted Akechi let him wash his hair, and he allowed it, albeit reluctantly. Still, Akira's fingers massaging at his scalp felt nice, and he couldn't help but lean into his touch.

“Bird,” said Akira, laughing a little. “You're really like a bird. I'm waiting for you to cheep.”

“Be quiet,” Akechi grumbled, though it was half-hearted.

He started to scrub Akira's back, and before he knew it, Akira had him pinned against the shower wall, kissing him full and light, his hands roaming Akechi's body. Akechi pulled at Akira's wet hair, savouring the heat engulfing them, savouring the feel of Akira's body flush against his own. And just when, he wondered, had he fallen so deeply into Akira that he couldn't find his way out? At one point, he'd wanted to kill him. Now, he couldn't imagine ever letting him go.

Pain twisted in his chest, and he kissed Akira harder, and harder still.

By the time they got out of the shower, their skin was glowing red.

“Guess it was a little too hot,” Akira mused, toweling off Akechi's hair.

Akechi had put their clothes up to dry the night before, but they were still a little damp. He loaned a shirt and pants to Akira for the time being. Seeing Akira in his clothing made his heart skip a beat and heat rise into his cheeks.

“Y-you'll have to stop at Leblanc for your uniform,” said Akechi, clearing his throat. “I think you should get going before you're late.”

Akira hummed at that. Rolled his shoulders and gave Akechi a kiss on the cheek.

“Then, I'll see you later.”

Akechi nodded, once. Akira grinned at him before heading for the door.

Akechi sighed and plopped back onto his futon, staring at the ceiling with one arm over his forehead. He didn't know how much time he had left, but he knew now he definitely didn't mind spending it with Akira. It seemed to be what Akira wanted, too, and he could at least grant him that. He was taking his love so selfishly, after all. He may as well return some of it while he had the chance.

It was when he rolled over to stare at his window that he saw something stuck to the wall beside it. Annoyed at the apparent mess, he got up to inspect it. It was a post-it note, and what was written on it made the hair stand up on the back of his neck.

_I'll never let you go._

He grit his teeth against the tears that sprang into his eyes. It was unfair. Akira was only making this whole thing that much harder for the both of them. Akechi had to go. He had to. There was no other choice.

Swallowing hard, Akechi closed his eyes and crushed the note in his hand.


End file.
